1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of hydrocarbon recovery, and more particularly, to a computer-implemented method, system, and computer program product that is configured to provide a dynamic three dimensional tunnel view of an operating envelope of a UBD well while the well is being drilled.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Underbalanced drilling, or UBD, is a procedure used to drill oil and gas wells where the pressure in the wellbore is kept lower than the fluid pressure in the formation being drilled. As the well is being drilled, formation fluid flows into the wellbore and up to the surface. This is the opposite of the usual situation, where the wellbore is kept at a pressure above the formation to prevent formation fluid entering the well. In such a conventional “overbalanced” well, the invasion of fluid is considered a kick, and if the well is not shut-in it can lead to a blowout, a dangerous situation. However, in underbalanced drilling, there is a “rotating head” that diverts produced fluids to a separator while allowing the drill string to continue rotating. If the formation pressure is relatively high, using a lower density mud will reduce the well bore pressure below the pore pressure of the formation. Sometimes an inert gas is injected into the drilling mud to reduce its equivalent density and hence its hydrostatic pressure throughout the well depth.
UBD operation requires advanced modeling for efficient selection of the proper liquid and gas injection rates. Currently, the UBD modeling process involves the development of static two-dimensional (2D) graphs that depict the operating envelope that defines the parameters (e.g., pressure and liquid rate) at given depth for drilling the well. However, present static operating envelope may not be reliable as the operating envelope may change as the well is drilled.
Thus, the disclosed embodiments seek to improve the process of UBD drilling by providing a computer-implemented method, system, and computer program product that is configured to provide a dynamic three dimensional tunnel view of an operating enveloping of a UBD well while the well is being drilled.